'Too much politics, that's what there was, too much politics and not enough policing.. '
Goncalo Amaral de Souza.
A memo was leaked in December 2007 and it contains much of interest. For myself, I am convinced this has Blairite fingerprints all over it, however the wording understates the problem. The Ambassador - in all probability - wrote in Mandarin and I would translate the memo as:
His Excellency asks : are those who must be obeyed absolutely sure it’s a good idea to carry on? Especially in view of the McCann's attitude to the PJ?
December 3, 2007
A memo was leaked to the Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure regarding a diplomat's concerns about the case.
Questions have been raised as to whether the memo may have been written by Ambassador Buck or someone in his office, although diplomat's name was not published in the newspaper articles.
The leaked memo was routed through the British diplomatic mission in Brussels
The leaked memo was sent "just days" after Madeleine disappeared.
The leaked memo warned the Foreign Office of concerns regarding the McCanns and warned of the risks of siding with the McCanns in public.
The diplomat immediately had doubts after being sent to Praia da Luz due to what he considered to be inconsistencies in their testimonies and "confused declarations" as to the whereabouts of the McCanns and their friends on May 3.
The memo mentions instructions "from London" that consular staff "overstretch their authority and put pressure on Portuguese authorities."
The memo refers to orders sent the previous day from the Foreign Office in London commanding embassy staff to provide all possible assistance to the McCanns and that the McCanns "had to be "accompanied at all times during any contact with the Portuguese police" by a member of consular staff or by British police officers sent out from the UK.
He also mentioned their lack of cooperation with the Portuguese police
The memo was sent *from the Algarve* to the Foreign office days after Madeleine "went missing"
Quote: "With the greatest respect, I would like to make you aware of the risks and implications to our relationship with the Portuguese authorities, if you consider the possible involvement of the couple. "Please confirm to me, in the light of these concerns, that we want to continue to be closely involved in the case as was requested in your previous message."
The Belgian report also stated that Portuguese detectives believe it is possible Madeleine died as the result of an accident on May 3 in the family's holiday apartment and that her parents hid and later disposed of her body with the help of their friends.
They said it is highly significant that almost all of the diplomats involved at the outset have now been taken off the case.
December 12, 2007
Reports emerged that British diplomats had been ordered by the Foreign Office to "avoid offering support" to Robert Murat.
The claim was made that an internal Foreign Office memo had sent the instructions three days after Murat was made an arguido (Note: May 15 is the date Murat was made an arguido.)
According to Spain's El Mundo newspaper, the order was justified due to the "specific nature of the case".
The internal memo allegedly stated that British diplomats were to "avoid offering support" to Murat unless charges were pressed against him.
So what lead up to the above memo?
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Friday May 4, 2007
Ambassador Buck drove from Lisbon to Praia da Luz. (Distance is approximately 3 hours by car.) Arrived mid-morning. PJ staff overheard earlier that morning, at 10 AM the British Consul reporting that nothing was being done by the Portuguese police.
Saturday May 5, 2007
Drove in from Lisbon "to be with the family after they begged him for help."
Ambassador Buck and 3 "family liaison officers from Leicestershire police held a private meeting with the McCanns "at the resort" on the afternoon of May 5th.The 3 "family liaison officers were flown out "at the request of the Foreign Commonwealth Office.
Sunday May 6, 2007
Ambassador Buck attended church service officiated by Father Jose Manuel Pacheco.
Tuesday May 8, 2007
Ambassador Buck travelled to the Algarve and met the McCanns. Reports were that the meeting lasted an hour.
He gave a television interview in which he said he had been in touch with Portuguese ministers and the prime minister Jose Socrates, and senior police chiefs.
Wednesday May 9, 2007
An email between Portimao and Lisbon of 9 May 2007 was the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request asking for Ambassador Buck's communications related to the McCanns. This email (or a portion of it) was withheld based on "Personal Information" exemption: Section 40 (2) and (3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Further information emerged regarding the 2 additional experts Buck had announced on Tuesday May 8th.
Ambassador Buck said they were "kidnapping experts" and had joined the 3 other British investigators who had been in Portugal since Saturday
"... two 'Cracker-style' criminal behaviour experts from Britain flew into the Algarve yesterday to join investigators..."
They were from CEOP and their dispatch had been organised by the British Foreign Office.
"A spokeswoman for the CEOP said the move was unprecedented and had been organised by the Foreign Office."
(In the intervening period up to September there were numerous communications for which FOI requests were refused. Quite a long list)
September 10, 2007
Ambassador John Buck was replaced as the British Ambassador to Portugal by Alexander Ellis. It was announced that Buck had "left the diplomatic service".
September 21 2007 (Source: Guardian/Wikileaks)
On September 21, newly-arrived British Ambassador Alexander Wykeham Ellis informed US Ambassador Hoffman that "it was the British police that developed the current evidence against Madeleine McCann's parents."
Ellis informed the Ambassador that former British Ambassador John Buck had accepted a private-sector position at a UK gas company and that his departure had nothing to do with bilateral issues.
Always thought ambassadors moved to other countries or took up senior govt positions back home. What's significant is that John Buck left the government and took a role in the private sector. Since then he had a lot to say about Iraq and wasn't shy about expressing his opinion.
ReplyDeleteAnother Levy invention
ReplyDeleteJust one of many,...lol
No-one but a major royal would get this kind of diplomatic manouevering. In the political world there is always someone on the sniff for blood and damage but the royal family has complete over say the media, the police, the government etc. This is definitely royal involvement. Off with their fucking heads.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but do not agree with last comment. Imo it has all the hallmarks of Blair and Co. Who had ambitions to become EU president, his wife probably to be in charge of the ECHR. Few years later Blair was still trying and being promoted by Italian (Fratini I think) as suitable leader and concerned with children. CEOP incidentally was a government funded Ltd.Co.
ReplyDeleteBut whatever the case, government control was there right from the start. Whatever the original plan was, it went wrong. Any dish is only as good as the ingredients one has available.